A second pathology evaluation is valuable when the case has a challenging or obscure diagnosis or when a patient faces difficult treatment decisions with considerable risks such as lifestyle changes, disability, and/or mortality. It might be reassuring to the patient if a second pathologist reviews a benign or malignant lesion to verify the diagnosis.

Usually second opinions are requested to avoid:

• A missed opportunity to treat a curable cancer.
• Unnecessary or incorrect cancer treatments that might have serious consequences when a benign lesion is incorrectly diagnosed as malignant.

Studies suggest that second-opinion pathology evaluations are cost-effective. They not only prevent errors but may save lives, emotional stress, lost work time, and costly treatments.
 
To conduct a pathology review, CellNetix Pathology requires:

• Previously prepared slides and/or paraffin block(s).
• A copy of the original pathology report(s).
• A completed Consult Request Form, which includes a brief clinical history of symptoms, previous diagnoses, operative findings, anatomic source of specimen, and pertinent lab results.
• patient-signed Release Form.